NPR News: 07-17-2026 2AM EDT

Giles Snyder· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. In his primetime speech Thursday evening, President Trump raised claims that American voting systems are vulnerable, but he did not provide evidence of widespread illegal voting. Trump has for years baselessly claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him. Here's NPR's Shannon Bond reporting.

Shannon Bond0:22

President Trump says he's declassifying documents that he says reveal vulnerabilities in voting.

Speaker 30:28

Unfortunately, the system we have today falls catastrophically short.

Shannon Bond0:32

But in his speech, he did not detail allegations of widespread illegal votes. Instead, he focused on claims including that China accessed US voter data and that non-citizens are found on some states' voter rolls. Some documents the White House posted during the speech did not appear to support the president's sweeping assertions. Trump has often spoken of election issues that fall apart under scrutiny. Numerous reviews over the years have debunked his claims about the 2020 election. Shannon Bond, NPR News.

Giles Snyder· Host1:02

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said China has never and will never interfere in US presidential elections. Trump's remarks about China come two months before leader Xi Jinping is due in Washington for a summit. President Trump delivered his speech amid heightened hostilities with Iran. Iranian state television reporting at least seven people were killed as US airstrikes have expanded to target bridges. NPR's Franco Ordoñez